{"id":17806,"date":"2021-01-25T19:11:46","date_gmt":"2021-01-25T19:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=17806"},"modified":"2021-01-26T14:46:07","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T14:46:07","slug":"special-policy-news-1-the-transition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2021\/01\/25\/special-policy-news-1-the-transition\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Policy News 1: The Transition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Special Policy News 1: The Transition<\/h1>\n

In This Issue:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

ESA Statement on Science in the Biden Administration<\/a><\/strong>
\n\u201cThe ecological community stands ready to work together with the Biden administration by providing scientific expertise to further inform equitable and evidence-based policy decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Biden Takes Office, Orders Review of Trump Environmental Regulations<\/a><\/strong>
\nBiden\u2019s first actions as president include rejoining the Paris climate agreement and canceling the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.<\/p>\n

President Biden Unveils Top Science Advisor, Climate Policy Team and More<\/a><\/strong>
\nBiden nominates biologist Dr. Eric Lander to be the White House Director of Science and Technology Policy and elevates this position to cabinet rank.<\/p>\n

Congress<\/a><\/strong>
\nSenate begins confirmation hearings for Biden\u2019s cabinet nominees, including a hearing for Energy Secretary nominee Jennifer Granholm this week.<\/p>\n

Executive Branch<\/a><\/strong>
\nFinancial regulator approves rule prohibiting banks from discriminating against certain business categories.<\/p>\n

Courts<\/a><\/strong>
\nStates challenge EPA\u2019s decision to retain air quality standards.<\/p>\n

Scientific Community<\/a><\/strong>
\nNational Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine seeks experts to serve on a study committee about addressing inaccurate and misleading information about biological threats.<\/p>\n

ESA In the News<\/a><\/strong>
\nView an up-to-date list of ESA\u2019s media coverage.<\/p>\n

ESA Correspondence to Policymakers<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Opportunities to Get Involved<\/strong><\/a>
\nFederal Register opportunities.<\/p>\n

ESA Statement on Science in the Biden Administration<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/a>
\nJan. 25, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ecological Society of America is in full support of President Joe Biden\u2019s bold actions to restore the central role of science in guiding policy and decision making that is research and evidence-based. As a country, we face many challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating impacts of climate change, and racial, economic and environmental injustice to name but a few. Confronting these and other crises simultaneously and ensuring a better quality of life for all Americans requires national leadership that is grounded in facts and truth and advised by stellar scientific minds. The Biden administration is ensuring just that.<\/p>\n

By historically elevating the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to the Cabinet-level, President Biden is putting science at the forefront of his administration. ESA applauds the nomination of Dr. Eric Lander to fill both this role and the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) role. Dr. Lander\u2019s contributions to the Human Genome Project, his leadership at the Broad Institute, and his experience as the former co-chair of the President\u2019s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) uniquely positions him to ensure that strong science guides sound policy. We also applaud the appointments of Dr. Alondra Nelson as the Deputy Director for Science and Society, Dr. Maria Zuber and Dr. Frances Arnold as PCAST co-chairs, and Kei Koizumi as OSTP Chief of Staff.<\/p>\n

These appointments are outstanding, as are this administration\u2019s initial actions. President Biden\u2019s first days in office have been spent signing Executive Orders (EO) to advance science-based federal leadership in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, protecting sacred and ecologically important national monuments, suspending oil leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, rejoining the World Health Organization, and rolling back dozens of poorly conceived attacks on essential environmental protections. These, and numerous other EOs, signal the value that the administration places on science-informed policy and decision making. Furthermore, the Biden administration\u2019s leadership in racial justice and commitment to diversity across government are beacons of hope for a stronger society.<\/p>\n

The ecological community stands ready to work together with the Biden administration by providing scientific expertise to further inform equitable and evidence-based policy decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kathleen C. Weathers, President, Ecological Society of America<\/a><\/p>\n

President Biden Takes Office, Orders Review of Trump Environmental Regulations and More<\/strong><\/h2>\n

<\/a>
\nUpon taking office Jan. 20, President Joe Biden quickly signed a series of climate and environment-related orders directing the U.S. to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, canceling the permit for the KeystoneXL pipeline and pausing oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Biden also vowed to re-establish and improve an Obama-era process to determine the social cost of carbon and methane.<\/p>\n

The administration is planning a \u2018Climate Day\u2019 for Jan. 27 and is expected to issue an executive order about \u201cscience and evidence based decision-making\u201d in the federal agencies then.<\/p>\n

President Biden also\u00a0revoked<\/a>\u00a0Trump executive orders that elimated diversity, equity and inclusion training programs for federal employees and reversed a plan to create a \u201cSchedule F\u201d category for federal employees. Scientific societies, including ESA, were\u00a0concerned<\/a>\u00a0that creating a \u201cSchedule F\u201d category would lead to career professionals \u2013 including scientists \u2013 being removed from their positions for political reasons. The scientific community, including ESA,\u00a0widely denounced<\/a>\u00a0the training executive orders as well.<\/p>\n

Biden ordered a review of all agency actions during the Trump administration, including several high-profile environmental regulations and other administrative actions:<\/p>\n